Daniel Radcliffe Cast As Seb Coe In 'Gold'

Daniel Radcliffe will play Lord Sebastian Coe, the famous athlete and peer, in 'Gold'. The film will follow the lead up to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and the rivalry between Coe and Steve Ovett.

Daniel Radcliffe has been cast in the role of Seb Coe. He will star in Gold, a film which will focus on the competition between Lord Coe and Steve Ovett, his fellow Olympian whilst preparing for the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

Daniel Radcliffe will play Seb Coe.

Coe won two Olympic medals at the Moscow Olympics. He raced against Ovett in the 800 metre race which his rival was awarded a Gold medal and Coe the Silver medal. However, six days later, Coe was victorious in the 1500 metres and won a Gold medal. Coe, four years later, defended his title at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

Based on the book The Perfect Distance by Pat Butch, the film will focus on the relationship and rivalry between Coe and Ovett as they prepared for the Olympics.

The script has been written by Simon Beaufoy and Will Davies. Beaufoy won an Oscar for writing Slumdog Millionaire, whilst Davies penned How To Train Your Dragon. Radcliffe has previously worked with the director of the upcoming Gold film, James Watkins, on The Woman In Black.

Seb Coe won two medals at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

According to Sky News, the film's producer, Vicky Licorish, is pleased with the casting. When discussing the casting, she stated "You were either an Ovett person or a Coe person and that's what makes it such a great character piece." Ovett is yet to be cast but a decision is expected within the next few weeks.

Beaufoy, speaking to the Daily Mail, commented on the characters. On the relationship between Coe and Ovett he said "I hadn't realised how good it was until you dig into their past. They were fantastically different athletes and different people."

Lord Coe was made a peer for life in 2000 and was instrumental in the London 2012 Olympic bid. Ovett currently resides in Australia after retiring from Athletics in 1991.

Production for the film will begin next year, with filming in the UK and Russia set to begin in April.

Daniel Radcliffe shot to fame after appearing in the Harry Potter films.